1. Field of the Invention
A system and method are provided for receiving navigational data via a wireless messaging service on a navigation system. More particularly, the system and method provide a way to receive as well as request destination information via the wireless messaging service and capture navigational data from the message received, such as addresses, telephone numbers, or email addresses, and utilize the data for navigational routing, the generation of telephone calls, emailing and the like from the vehicle's navigation system.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, when a user in a vehicle wishes to enter a destination address into an onboard vehicle navigation system for routing to the address, the user must manually enter the address information directly into the user interface of the navigation system. Conversely, when a user wishes to place a telephone call using a Hands Free Telephone (“HFT”) device, the user can vocalize the desired telephone number and use simple voice commands (e.g., “Call home” or “Check voicemail”), though there sometimes is a keypad or a set of buttons that allow manual entry of data. Manual entry of data, especially non-numeric text into the navigation system is both cumbersome and time consuming.
The use of messaging services such as Short Message Service (“SMS”) to transmit and receive messages on mobile devices has gained in popularity and SMS use is ever increasing. SMS is a wireless messaging service that enables the transmission of alphanumeric messages between mobile subscribers and external systems such as electronic mail, paging, and voice mail systems. Common usages for SMS messaging include, but are not limited to: exchanging short messages; receiving email service over SMS such that messages delivered to that email address are converted to short messages and delivered to a mobile device; receipt of information services like news, weather, entertainment, points of interest (“POI”), advertisements; and mobile chatting. Sending SMS messages in a vehicle from a handheld cellular phone can be difficult. Thus, it would be desirable to have a way to simplify for the driver the process of sending and receiving SMS messages from a vehicle.
Oftentimes, SMS messages received on a mobile device (e.g., a cellular telephone) contain address data, telephone numbers, email addresses, or other navigational information that could be utilized by an onboard vehicle navigation system. Further, an SMS message may contain multiple sets of addresses and telephone numbers. This often occurs in response to a user's request to an SMS service provider for a point of interest in the vicinity of the user's present location. Unfortunately, there is currently no method for capturing and synchronizing the telephone number and navigational data obtained directly from the SMS message in the user's mobile device to prevent the need for manual entry of the information into a vehicle navigational system by the user and to avoid duplication of information entries.
Existing navigational systems often use icons on a map screen to indicate to the user the desired location they wish to route to in relation to the user's current location. The icons can take the form of simple geometric shapes like circles or diamonds or may be shaped like the particular type of business they represent (e.g., shaped like a gasoline pump for a gas station). These icons generally represent locations that are stored on a non-updated storage medium in the navigational system, such as a DVD ROM. If a vehicle user requests additional Points of Interest information (e.g., address information) via SMS messaging on her phone, the responsive SMS messages received can contain new addresses that might be represented by icons on the map screen. Accordingly, there is a need for a way to distinguish the icons for the newly received address information from the icons that are already shown on the navigation screen (e.g., icons representing locations from the DVD ROM and locations initially received from the user's phone via SMS messaging).